Domahi

The common popular term to designate the three festivals corresponding to Bihu of Eastern (Upper) Assam, in Western (Lower) Assam, except in West Goalpara, is ''Domahi ",^1 7 e.g., Baihagar Domahi, Maghar Domahi and Katir Domahi.^3 4 5
Domahi or Domasi also known Damhi ¹ is popular harvesting festival of Kamrup and eastern Goalpara regions of Western Assam. Festivals marks the commencement and end of harvesting season, and start and end of Kamrupi and Goalpariya new years.

Etymology

The term consists of two words "Do" which means two and "mah" or "mas" which meaning is month. The word Domahi means the junction of two months.^3 5 6

Types

The festival is subdivided into "Maghar Domahi" (mid January), "Baihagar Domahi" (mid April) and "Katir Domahi" (mid October). Astronomically Baihagar Domahi is associated Vernal equinox, Kati Domahi with Autumnal equinox and Maghar Domahi with Winter solstice. Greater importance is attached to the winter festival than to the spring festival. But the third festival , held in autumn, is not always considered as another Domahi.⁴

Maghar Domahi

Maghar Domahi or Domasi is festival of feasting after end of harvesting season and year. Its celebrated around mid of January. A mass feast is organised on eve of this festival called as "log bhaat".

Baihagar Domahi

Baihagar Domahi is special spring time festival. A fair usually held in the first week of Baihag or third week of april. It is known as "Bhatheli" in northern Kamrup, "Sori" or "Suanri" in southern Kamrup.² In the southern part of Kamrup, where the festival is known as Sori, planting of tall bamboos is not seen, but bamboo posts,with the tuft at the top. People bow before the bamboos in northern Kamrup and they also touch them with reverence.

Bhatheli

Bhatheli as called in North Kamrup ( Nalbari, Rangiya etc.), held in month of Vaisakha.^1 8 Each area decorates a long bamboo with flag and streamers. The one that adjusted best is called the bridegroom. The others who are termed brides, are then ranged around it in circle, and a mock marriage ceremony is performed. The one of the main feature is the planting of two green Bamboos. On the fixed date in the morning young men take purifying baths. They cut two bamboos and decorated it with coloured cloth and chowries, followed by celebrations with music and instruments. A large scale fair accompanied with trading of different commodities.
In the south Kamrup where it is known as "Sori" or "Suanri" follows the same pattern with little variations. In Bajali area of north Kamrup bamboo is kept against a Banyan tree called as "Madan Mohan Gosain", a name of Krishna.⁸
Banikanta Kakati draws attention towards similarity between Bhatheli and ancient Indradhwaja festival. The Indradhwaja festival is described as "Sakrotthana" in the Kalika Purana, and it took place around a pole with flags. The procedures for the festival as described in the Kalika Purana approximate the preparations to be made for the celebrations of Bhatheli of the present days. The two festival appears to be one except on certain minor details.⁸

References

1. Goswami, Upendranath (1970), A Study on Kāmrūpī: A Dialect of Assamese, Department of Historical Antiquarian Studies, Assam, p.13,14 Moreover the factors for the integration of different dialects namely war, annual fair, great religious festivals etc., where people of different and adjacent places can mix together and get the chief roughness of different dialects smoothed down, were found lacking between eastern and western Assam. The important festival in eastern Assam called the Bihu festival is not observed in the same manner in western Assam. The Kamrupi word for the festival at the same period is 'dahmi'. The custom of intermarriage between eastern Assam and Kamrup was also not in vogue. Even now-a-days the number of such marriages is not great. In other cultural items also Kamrup and eastern Assam differ considerably. In Kamrup we find 'bhathli', a kind of bamboo worship held in the middle of April. Another interesting custom in Kamrup is the custom of driving mosquitoes in winter in the form of group singing which is known as 'mahoho'. The choral songs, known as 'ojapali, connected with the story of the goddess Manasa, is also confined in western Assam. Manasa even to-day "is a living and powerful cult in Assam and she is worshipped with much adoration and ceremony, particularly in the districts of Kamrup, Goalpara and Darrang". In eastern Assam no parallel is found to these festivals and worship. Thus politically, socially and culturally Kamrup formed a separate unit and its speech also was compelled to take a shape to form a distinct dialect. It is only by chance that this dialect had to lose its prestige and had to remain as a dialect. 
2. Goswami, Upendranath (1970), A Study on Kāmrūpī: A Dialect of Assamese, Department of Historical Antiquarian Studies, Assam, p.13 In Lower Assam there is hardly any dance and music of the Bihu type so common in Upper Assam, but a special springtime festival of this region is a fair usually held in the first week of Bohag. It is known as Bhatheli in northern Kamrup, Sori or Suari in southern Kamrup.
3. Birendranatha Datta (1995), A Study of the Folk Culture of the Goalpara Region of Assam, University Publication Department, Gauhati University, p.98 While the term samkrānti is not unknown , “ in Assamese the term domahi is more popular than the learned samkranti . Domahi means the junction of two months . Further , in lower Assam , this term tends to replace the use of the name Bihu: the Domahi of Bohag, of Kati, or of Magh."
4. Birendranatha Datta (1995), A Study of the Folk Culture of the Goalpara Region of Assam, University Publication Department, Gauhati University, p.101 The eastern parts of the (Goalpara) region closely follow the pattern of Kamrup. The two principle festivals are called Domahi―Boihagar Domahi, Maghar Domahi―and greater importance is attached to the winter festival than to the spring festival. But the third festival, held in autumn, is not always regarded as another Domahi. 
5. Goswami, Praphulla Dutta (1966), The Springtime Bihu of Assam: A Socio-cultural Study, Lawyer's Bookstall, Gauhati, p. 8 In Assamese the term domahi is more popular than the learned samkranti . Domahi means the junction of two months . Further , in lower Assam , this term tends to replace the use of the name Bihu : the Domahi of Bohag , of Kati , or of Magh .
6. Goswami, Praphulladatta (1988), Bohag Bihu of Assam and Bihu Songs, Publication Board, Assam, p.5 Domahi means the junction of two months . Further , in lower Assam , this term tends to replace the use of the name Bihu ; the Domahi of Bohag , of Kati , or of Magh.
7. Dutta, Arup Kumar (2001), The Brahmaputra, National Book Trust,India, ISBN:9788123735443, 8123735448, p.198 Thus what is Magh - Bihu in Upper Assam is Maghar - Domahi in Lower Assam.
8. Birendranatha Datta (1995), A Study of the Folk Culture of the Goalpara Region of Assam, University Publication Department, Gauhati University, p.77 "In the Rangiya and Nalbari tehsils there is a form of sport called Bhatheli, which is continued for some days after the Baisakh Bihu. Each village decorates a long bamboo with flag and streamers. The one that is adjudged the best is called the bridegroom. The others who are termed brides, are then ranged round it in a circle, and a mock marriage ceremony is performed. On the last day of the gathering the villagers dance round the bamboo, brandishing their clubs, and the best bamboo or or para, as it is called, is planted in a tank." "The chief feature of this fair (Bhatheli) is the planting of two green bamboos in a field in some village. On the fixed date in the morning young men take a purifying bath, and cut two bamboos. These are cleaned and washed, then decorated with coloured cloths and chowries. Then these are ceremonially planted in the midst of a din made by playing of drums and cymbals and blowing of conches." Singing of erotic songs by young men also used to be a feature of the festival but the practice is being discontinued.There are certain variations in the nature of the rites in other parts of the region but the main pattern on the whole remains the same. For example, in south Kamrup, it is called Sori or Suari and takes on certain features of the Holi festival as observed in the Vaishnava establishments of Assam. In the Bajali area the bamboo kept leaning against a banyan tree is actually called Madan-mohan Gosain, a name of Krishna.B. Kakati draws attention to some similarities between the Bhatheli festival and the ancient Indradhwaja festival, originally a fertility festival, later "converted into a festival in honor of Indra, the sovereign of the clouds and waters which generates the grain. Krishna replaced it by instituting the worship of the Govardhana hill." The Indradhwaja or Indradhwajotthana festival is described as Sakrotthana in the Kalika Purana, and it took place around a pole with flags." The procedure for the festival as described in the Kalika Purana approximate the preparations to be made for the celebration of Bhatheli of the present days. The two festivals appear to be one except on certain minor details." Whereas the Sakrotthana festival took place in autumn, Bhatheli is held in spring; and while the pole used in the former festival was made of wood, the Bhatheli pole is a bamboo.

Bihu in Western Assam (Lower Assam)

In Western Assam (Lower Assam) there is hardly any dance and music of the Bihu type so common in Eastern Assam (Upper Assam), but a special spring time festival of this region is a fair usually held in the first week of Baihag or third week of april. It is known as Bhatheli in northern Kamrup, Sori or or Suanri in southern Kamrup. The bhatheli-ghar come from another village, resulting in a sort of mock fight between them and the local youth. In the southern part of Kamrup, where the festival is known as Sori, planting of tall bamboos is not seen, but bamboo posts,with the tuft at the top. People bow before the bamboos in northern Kamrup and they also touch them with reverence, but it does not look like any sort of bamboo worship.